Memories of the Past
by CrazySarahify
Summary: Spade D. Ace, Outlook D. Sabo, and Monkey D. Luffy are the modern day reincarnations of the famous brother pirates. There are some alikes and some differences between their past and future selves. The main difference being, Ace and Luffy despise each other to no end. What happens when they start getting the memories of their past selves? OOC Luffy! Semi-AU. T for language.
1. History Class

Chapter 1: History Class

**(Hey guyz~! Yeah I know… Stop making new fics and work on the others. Here's the reasons I'm not working on them. **

**Brother's Returned – Completely lost and don't know what to do. Worse than writers block.**

**Second Chance – I don't want it to end too fast. I wanna give it time.**

**Any of my D. Gray-man fics – Eh. Got bored, stopped watching DGM, don't really feel like writing murder scenes, and I'm currently addicted to One Piece. The fact that I have Ace, Sabo, and Luffy in my head doesn't help. Along with Thatch, Marco, and Law… **

**I now have a total of nine voices in my head at nearly all times. Ace, Sabo, Luffy, Law, Thatch, Marco, Allen, Lavi, and Kanda. Notice I didn't say 'subconscious'. Whatever that is… Wait! *thinks for a moment* Yeah that's Siel. Side effect from roleplaying as a bat shit insane girl… Now it's ten voices. I need help big time. On to the crap!)**

It was the first day of the second semester and Luffy was both happy and pissed. He was happy because, with school coming back, he could see his friends again. He was pissed for something near that reason. He was pissed because that man would come back as well. Luffy hated him more than anything in the entire world. To him, that man was an attention whore. He always had to be popular and stand out above everyone else. He and Luffy were complete opposites.

While Luffy was kind, mellow, and liked to stay hidden – unless with friends, then he was hyper-active and loud – that man was rude, always had to stand out, and was always the center of attention. If someone tried to talk to the man, he would walk away and ignore them. The only person that man spoke to was his best, and probably only, friend, Sabo. That bastards name was-

"Ace!" A group of girls screamed, unknowingly finishing Luffy's train of thought.

'_Speak of the devil and he shall arrive._' Luffy thought to himself.

"Hey Ace." A girl called out seductively with a smile.

"Hey man, wanna go play ball with us later?" a man in a letterman jacket asked.

"Ace! Can you sign my binder?" a nerdy looking girl asked as she pushed up her glasses that seemed to be too big for her head.

As the whole class called out to him, Ace didn't say a word and just walked to his seat. Stopping next to Luffy. After a moment, both boys were sending death glares at the other.

"Monkey." Ace spat.

"Spade." Luffy replied with the same tone.

"So. You're still here. That sucks. I was hoping to have a good semester for once." Ace said.

"I was hoping the same. Too bad. Maybe you should go to a different class. Actually, how about you get your entire schedule changed? I don't was to see your ugly mug all day, every day again." Luffy commented.

"I should be saying that to you. Move, Monkey." Ace said.

"Make me, Spade." Luffy said as he stood face to face with Ace.

"Sit your asses down or else you two love birds get to spend more time together after school!" The professor shouted as he entered the room.

Without another word, Luffy moved and let Ace get to his seat, shortly followed by Sabo. Luffy was somewhat grateful that the professor had put Sabo between him and Ace. The two absolutely despised each other. In the beginning of the year, they had broken into multiple fights during classes. Eventually the teachers learned to either put the two on opposite ends of the room, or put someone between them.

"Now. Since I have to be stuck with you imbeciles yet again, we might as well go over a topic one might consider, enjoyable." The professor started. "The Great Pirate Era."

At the mention of those four words, everyone either looked confused or excited. Most of the students at Goa Academy almost respected pirates. Some wanted to be pirates, others wanted to meet them. But the main reason for this reaction towards the ocean bound criminals, was because the second Pirate King had been born on their island. Most of the people on the island were proud to know that, but there were some who straight up hated the island and everyone who showed that pride. Some even went so far as to leave the island and go somewhere far away. Usually they went to West Blue.

"To start us off, we'll be learning about the Pirate Kings. Who has not heard of them?" The professor asked, pausing for a moment only to be given silence in return. "Good. Now does anyone want to tell us what they think they know about the first Pirate King?"

Silence. Dead silence. Nobody even moving in the slightest to raise their hand, and nobody calling out.

"If my other classes are like this, then it might be a good day after all." The professor muttered to himself. "Monkey!"

"Y-yes sir." Luffy replied nervously.

"Tell us about the first Pirate king." The professor stated.

"His name was Gol D. Roger, known as either Gold Roger or Pirate King. He was born in Loguetown and executed there. His final words being '_My treasure? If you want it you can have it! Find it! I left it all in one place_'. His words causing the Great Pirate Era. Also, the reason he turned himself in, was because he was dying of an incurable disease. He didn't want to die by sitting around and waiting for it to happen." Luffy said.

"How do you know of the disease?" The professor asked.

"Many, _many_ years ago, someone from my family had met Dark King, Silvers Rayleigh, who told them about Roger's illness. The story has been passed down my family for generations." Luffy explained.

"Who was it? The man from your family I mean." The professor questioned.

"If you don't mind sir, I'd rather not say." Luffy stated.

"Fair enough. Well done." The professor said before walking over to his laptop and starting a power point.

"Oi…" Sabo whispered as he leaned over to Luffy. "Who was it? I won't tell."

"Sorry. My grandfather made me promise not to tell a soul. Otherwise I don't get any kind of food or drink for a week…" Luffy said quietly.

"Wow… Your gramps sounds harsh…" Sabo muttered.

"He is…" Luffy whispered as his head lowered enough for his eyes to be shadowed.

Slowly Sabo started to lean away from Luffy and back into his seat, whispering something akin to 'That kids family is messed up'. Soon followed by Ace saying 'He is too'. At that, the glaring between Ace and Luffy started.

"Now. How about we start with Roger's greatest rival, Edward 'Whitebeard' Newgate and his crew." The professor started as a picture of said man appeared from the projector.

As soon as he heard the name 'Whitebeard', Ace had stopped glaring and was instead watching the screen. He looked nearly shocked, worried, confused, and even a bit happy. As Ace stared at the photo, Luffy turned to Sabo and gave him a look that asked 'What's with him?' to which Sabo only shrugged.

"Edward Newgate. The strongest man in the world. Having had one of the largest crews in all of history, nobody was able to win against him. His crew consisted of sixteen divisions, the commanders of each division being highly skilled and holding high bounties. The first division commander, and later captain, was Marco the Phoenix. Having eaten a mythical Devil Fruit, allowing him to transform into a phoenix and have the same regenerative abilities. Some believe he is still living due to the myth of a phoenix raising from its own ashes. Seeing as how he went missing multiple years after Whitebeards death, it is possible." The man informed.

"Marco…?" Ace muttered, almost as if trying the name for himself before smiling slightly.

Luffy looked at Sabo again with an even more confused look. Sabo just shrugged again, this time more confused. Both men looking at Ace as if expecting an answer, but never getting it.

"Another member of Whitebeards crew was Marshall D. Teach, also known as Blackbeard. He had been a member of the second division until he murdered the fourth division commander, Thatch. The reason being for the Devil Fruit, Yami Yami no Mi. After stealing the fruit, he left the crew and created his own. Shortly after, he got into a fight with the second division commander who was captured and turned into the marines. After Whitebeard's death, Blackbeard took his position as Yonko and Whitebeard's Devil Fruit ability." The professor continued as he showed a picture of Blackbeard.

"Thatch…" Ace muttered sadly before practically growling the word 'Blackbeard'.

Again, Luffy looked at Sabo and mouthed 'What the hell?'.

'I have no idea.' Sabo mouthed back before looking back to Ace who looked like he was trying to burn a hole into his desk just by glaring at it.

"Ace…?" Sabo whispered cautiously.

"What?" Ace nearly growled.

"You okay?" Sabo asked slowly.

"I'm just peachy." Ace said sarcastically, before calming down slightly. "Remind me to get a picture of that Blackbeard guy later."

"Why?" Sabo asked.

"Because I want to tear it into a million pieces then burn it in a raging inferno." Ace said, almost calmly.

Sabo was shocked. "Why!?" he nearly shouted.

"I don't like him." Ace said like it was the simplest thing in the world.

"I can tell." Sabo said with a sweatdrop.

"Would you two shut up?!" the professor yelled.

"Sorry…" They whispered.

"Now, as I was saying. For you idiots, a Yonko was the title given to one of the four emperors. Whitebeard – later replaced by Blackbeard –, Akagami, Big Mom, and Kaido. The Yonko were the four most notorious and most powerful pirate captains in the world, but are neither allies nor enemies of one another, preferring to remain autonomous under most circumstances. These four individually resided within the second half or the Grand Line – known as the "New World" –, exerting impressive influence, or control, over dozens of other pirate crews and self-governing islands.

"A great example being Akagami Shanks, literally meaning "Red-Haired" Shanks. Before becoming a Yonko, Shanks had visited our island and claimed it as a temporary base. Before leaving the island one final time, he saved a small boy from the Sea King that used to claim these waters. In turn, he lost his left arm. After healing, he left behind his famous straw hat, which he had received from Roger himself, with the boy. The hat was supposed to be a symbol for their promise that the boy would grow strong one day and become the Pirate King. The boy kept his promise and became the second Pirate King." The professor said.

"Shanks…" Luffy whispered under his breath before smiling and drawing a small straw hat on his paper.

"Not you too…" Sabo muttered.

"Because of this promise, the boy created a crew named the Strawhat Pirates. His first member being the famous pirate hunter, Roronoa Zoro. Soon followed by Burglar Cat Nami as the navigator, Sogeking Usopp as the sharpshooter, Black Leg Sanji as the chef, Cotton-candy lover Chopper (pet) somehow being the doctor, Nico Robin as the archeologist, Cyborg Franky as the shipwright, and Soul King, or Dead Bones, Brook as the musician."

"Wait! _The_ Soul King was a pirate!? And on the same ship as the second Pirate King!?" A girl in the back shouted as she stood in shock.

"Yes now shut up!" The professor shouted.

Immediately, the girl sat back in her seat and stayed quiet in the back.

"Good. Now onto the closer relations. I'm sure everyone has heard of Garp the Fist and The Revolutionary Dragon, correct?" The man asked, everyone nodding in response. "Good. Many don't know this but, Garp had been the father of Dragon and grandfather of the second Pirate King. Before you ask or say anything, yes. The family was very confusing. One being a Marine Hero, another being the leader of the Revolutionaries, and the last being the second Pirate King. The family was very dysfunctional."

"You can say that again." Ace muttered.

When hearing that, Luffy had to resist the urge to growl. Saying something like that wasn't right for a teacher to say, no matter how true. Luffy had chosen to just close his eyes and count to ten in his head.

"Lastly, we have the three most important people. The commander, the revolutionary, and the king. Let's begin with the commander. Tell me if you think he looks familiar." The professor said as he switched to the next slide, showing a picture of Ace.

"Ace!?" Everyone shouted causing said man to jump.

"What'd I do?" Ace instinctively shouted.

"Why do you have a picture of Ace?" Sabo questioned.

"I don't even think his fan club goes that far…" Luffy muttered before thinking for a second. "Never mind…"

"Portgas D. Ace. Son of Gol D. Roger and Portgas D. Rouge. Second division commander of the Whitebeard Pirates. Also known as Fire Fist Ace. Does anyone know why?" The professor asked.

"Because of his Devil Fruit. The Mera Mera no Mi. He was made entirely out of fire and his main attack was 'Hiken', meaning fire fist, which was him practically shooting a fist made of fire at his opponents." Ace answered with a small smirk and glint of pride in his eyes.

"Why am I not surprised our Ace knows about Fire Fist?" The professor said teasingly. "Since you know so much, care to tell how he died?"

"Marineford War. Whitebeard pirates vs. Marines to save him. Once freed by his little brother, they started their escape only to be stopped by Admiral Akainu. Fire Fist fought Akainu and started losing. As a low blow, Akainu headed to attack Fire Fist's immobile brother. Fire Fist shielded his brother but lost his life in the process." Ace said, flinching at the end.

"Well explained." The professor said.

'_Thank you… For loving me!_' a voice, sounding a lot like Ace's, said.

As soon as he heard those words, tears slowly made their ways down Luffy's cheeks and onto the desk. Immediately, Luffy tried to stop them, but couldn't.

"Oi. You alright?" Sabo whispered.

"I… I don't know…" Luffy whispered. "I thought I heard something and… and then I started crying… But I don't know why…"

"What'd you hear?" Sabo asked.

"It sounded like Ace, which was really weird, but he was saying 'Thank you for loving me'. It sounded like he was crying and even dying…" Luffy muttered before the tears started again.

"O-oi… I thought you hated him…" Sabo stated nervously.

"I do… But I can't stop…" Luffy whispered.

"Oi. Are you crying? Jeez… I hate crybabies." Ace said.

"Shut up!" Luffy nearly yelled before putting his head on his desk.

"Need I remind you three, again, that you are still in class? And what's with Monkey?" The professor questioned.

"He's crying like a baby." Ace said bluntly.

"Shut the hell up!" Luffy shouted, not raising his head.

"Dude how can you be so angry and crying at the same time?" one of the men in the class asked with a chuckle.

"I said shut up!" Luffy yelled again.

"You aren't scary, you know! You're crying into a table, kid." A girl a few desks away from Luffy said.

Immediately, Luffy lifted his head and glared deeply at the girl who jumped back, causing her to fall off the chair. Quickly, everyone looked over at Luffy and saw how pissed he was. He was damn near furious and pretty scary, even with some small tear trails staining his cheeks.

"Oi. Calm down." Sabo said as he put his hand on Luffy's shoulder.

At the touch, Luffy flinched. Slowly, he turned forward again, folded his arms on his desk, and put his head down in them. He didn't know why, but he was out of it today.

"If I may continue. There are only two people left that I would like to mention before you all leave." The professor said.

After a few moments of silence, and Luffy moving his head so he could still rest while watching the presentation, the professor continued.

"Next is the revolutionary. He was the second oldest of the three brothers. After an incident, Dragon had taken him in and took care of him. After twelve years, he became second in command of the Revolutionaries. Also another familiar face." The professor said before changing screens.

"What are you doing? This is getting annoying already." Ace stated as he looked at his friends picture on the screen.

On the screen stood Sabo, dressed in a blue tail coat, and black top hat with a pair of blue goggles on it. The only real differences being the picture of Sabo was missing a tooth and had a burn scar on his face. Another thing they all noticed, was the fact that Sabo was holding a pipe and looked like he had been using it to fight.

"Nobody knew his full name. Everyone either called him Mad Hatter or Sabo. Does anyone know how he might have gotten those burns?" The professor asked, secretly looking at Sabo.

Just as he expected, Sabo was the one to answer. "While escaping the island, he got in front of a Celestial Dragons ship. The Celestial Dragon shot at his boat and at him. He was burned by the flames that were engulfing the wooden fishing boat." Sabo said, a small shudder running through him at the mention of the flames.

Immediately, Ace and Luffy started feeling anger, hatred, and sadness run through them. Both felt as though they wanted to hunt down that Celestial Dragon and kill him themselves.

When Ace looked down, he saw something written on his paper. Slowly and carefully he read it. '_By the way, Ace, which one of us do you think is the older brother? Two big brothers and one little brother. It's odd but our brotherhood is my treasure. Luffy is still a weak crybaby but… he's our little brother so take good care of him! –Sabo_'

"Oi. The hell is this?" Ace asked Sabo angrily as he pointed to the letter.

Sabo looked at Ace in surprise, then to the paper he was pointing to. After a few moments of staring, Sabo looked back to Ace. "That's a blank piece of paper." Sabo said slowly.

"Wha-?" Ace said as he looked back at the paper to see it was blank.

"What's with you today?" Sabo asked.

"Nothing. Forget I said anything." Ace said before balling up the paper and throwing it at Luffy.

Luffy groaned lightly before lifting his head and seeing a piece of balled up paper next to his face. Immediately he noticed a small, blue 'S' with crossbones behind it, on the paper. He blinked a few times to make sure he wasn't seeing things. After the third blink, it went away, and Luffy shrugged it off. He was probably just tired.

"And onto the last person. The second Pirate King." The professor said.

Immediately, everyone got excited. Everyone except Ace, Sabo, and Luffy. Ace didn't care, Sabo was trying to figure out what was happening to the two men on either side of him, and Luffy already knew. After a few moments, the slide changed and everyone gasped.

"WHAT!?" They all yelled.

Luffy looked over at Ace and Sabo, hoping they didn't freak out. He was sorely disappointed though. Ace had an eyebrow raised in confusion as he looked between the screen and Luffy. Sabo was staring wide eyed at the screen.

"Please don't ask." Luffy muttered.

"Monkey. Care to explain?" The professor asked with a small smirk of amusement.

"Do I have to? I really don't want to be injured." Luffy said.

"Do you want to fail this class?" The professor asked.

"Do you want to be punished by a modern day version of Garp the Fist?" Luffy asked in reply.

"Speak boy." The professor said.

"Uh. No. I prefer food and water over attention." Luffy said.

"Excuse me?" The professor asked with annoyance.

"Which would you rather do? Tell and get beaten up by a modern day version of Garp the Fist along with no food or water for a week, or not say anything?" Luffy asked, completely serious.

"Speak or else I make it to where you can't eat for a month." The professor said darkly.

"Fine! But you get to pay my hospital bill." Luffy said before getting to the explanation.

"His name was Monkey D. Luffy. He was the son of Monkey D. Dragon, the revolutionary, and grandson to Monkey D. Garp, Hero of the Marines. He had two brothers. Portgas D. Ace and Sabo. Ace hated everyone and everything because everyone he met had trashed his father and said he shouldn't be alive. Sabo was a young noble who hated how the other nobles acted and ran away to Gray Terminal where he met Ace. After some time, they met Luffy. Ace wanted nothing more than to kill Luffy at first before they became friends and later on brothers with Sabo." Luffy explained with annoyance.

"Sounds like they're a lot alike to their past counterparts." A girl whispered in the back.

"Not even close. Unlike now, Luffy chased Ace everywhere so he could be his friend. While I want nothing more than to avoid him. Although Sabo is closest to the same if you ask me. He's been the neutral party throughout everything." Luffy commented.

"And you know this how?" Sabo pressed on.

Luffy sighed. "Because Luffy is my great, great, great, great, great grandfather."

There were a few moments of silence before- "WHAT!?"

"Do you have to yell?" Luffy questioned. "And seriously, it's not that hard to figure out. I even have his name! Hell I might as well be him!"

"What do you mean?" Sabo asked.

"My parents were _oh so _original when I was born that they decided to name me after him. Slowly I started to look more and more like him. At this point, the only difference in appearance would be, I don't have his scars." Luffy said.

"Since you're sharing, how about you tell about the scars as well?" The professor asked.

"I'm just doing your job now aren't I?" Luffy questioned.

"Get to talking brat!" The professor said as he sat in his chair and put his feet on his desk.

Luffy sighed, again. "The one under his left eye is due to him trying to show his strength to Shanks. The one on his chest is because of Marineford. After Ace died in his arms, Luffy had gone into shock and couldn't move. Jinbei had grabbed him and had been trying to escape with him. Akainu had attacked them by sending, I believe, a pillar of magma through Jinbei's chest and burning Luffy's chest."

"Ouch… That must've hurt…" A man muttered.

"Which part? Stabbing your own cheek when you're seven years-old, Magma burning your chest, or the only brother you have left dying in your arms after promising he would never die after the first one did?" Luffy asked.

"What…?" A girl asked in shock.

"After Sabo 'died', Luffy promised to get stronger so he wouldn't lose anyone ever again. Ace and Luffy promised to live a life with no regrets. Then Luffy made Ace promise not to die. Mind you they were seven and ten while still mourning their brother. When Ace died, it was in Luffy's arms. His final words were along the lines of 'My only regret is not seeing you reach your dream, but I know you'll make it. Because you're my little brother. If it wasn't for you and the Sabo incident, I would have died a long time ago. Oyaji… Luffy… Everyone… Thank you… For loving me'." Luffy explained, a small tear falling down his cheek again.

After a few moments of silence, Luffy started speaking again.

"He made it look easy, but in fact, he went through more than any of us ever will. He was the king for a reason." Luffy said right before the bell rang.

Quietly, Luffy put his stuff in his bag and walked out of the room, leaving the occupants completely shocked. Even Ace had wide eyes. Deep down, Ace and Sabo felt something akin to guilt growing inside them. They didn't know why.

Immediately, a scene of younger versions of themselves and Luffy clinking red cups together before drinking the contents ran through their minds.

'_From today on… We're brothers!_'

**(How was that? Mostly talking about the past but… You know… It's a history class. Next chap won't be as focused on the past. Most likely. I don't know. It's like… 4 A.M. I can't think anymore… Night. Morning. Whatever it is for you now… Also I wanted to say this earlier, February 9****th****, 2010 was the day Ace died. ;-; I miss him, ya know… Anyways. Fave, follow, read my other stuff, and review. Bai~! c(X )**

**Start time – 11:30 P.M.**

**End time – 4:45 A.M.**


	2. The Letter

Chapter 2: The Letter

**(Hey guyz~! So I decided to try and update but there's a warning; I'm currently brain-dead. Seriously, I have a huge head ache and can't think straight. I'm just happy I have this planned out. Along with my other stories. I have at least five chapters total planned for this story. Brothers Returned is planned to chapter 4. Second Chance is planned to the end, chapter 20, unless I decide to add more. Now you know. On to the crap!)**

After the bell rang, signaling lunch, Ace and Sabo sat at a small table in the court yard. Both were silent for a number of minutes. Even when people spoke to them, they ignored them, or so it seemed. In reality, both were thinking so deeply about what happened in history, that they hadn't heard anyone.

After some minutes, Sabo had brought out a paper so he could write what happened. He pulled out a pen and was about to write on it when he was stopped by Ace.

"Don't you want to use a blank piece of paper?" Ace asked, staring curiously between the paper and Sabo.

"It is blank." Sabo said as he looked to Ace.

"No it isn't. It actually looks kinda like a… a letter…" Ace said before he slowed down and read it carefully.

"Ace?" Sabo questioned when he saw his friend staring carefully at the blank sheet.

"You really can't see it?" Ace asked.

"It's completely blank." Sabo stated.

"How can you not see it? It's your hand writing! Hell it even says your name!" Ace shouted as he pointed to where the signature would be.

"Since you're so intent at YELLING AT ME, how about you read it!?" Sabo shouted with annoyance, frustration, and anger.

"Fine. No need to shout at me." Ace said calmly.

Sabo growled and was about to yell at Ace, before he was cut off by Ace reading.

'_Ace, Luffy,_

_I hope you guys weren't hurt in the fire. I'm worrying about you both but I believe that you're okay. I'm sorry to say it, guys, but when you get this letter, I'll already be out on the sea. Things led to things and I decided to set out to sea before you. My destination will be anywhere but here. I'm gonna become stronger and become a pirate! The three of us have to become the freest pirates ever, then let's meet up again somewhere. Somewhere on the big and open sea! Definitely, someday! _

_By the way, Ace, which one of us do you think is the bigger brother? Two big brothers and one little brother. It's odd but our brotherhood is my treasure. Luffy is still a weak crybaby but he is our little brother so take good care of him!_

_-Sabo'_

When Ace had finished reading, both he and Sabo were confused. Sabo had a small sense of familiarity in him while Ace had a strong feeling of sadness in him. For some reason, it felt like they were Sabo's final words. Ace didn't like it. He even felt a small tear forming in his eyes but he quickly blinked it away.

"Are you sure that's what it says?" Sabo asked.

"Do you want to try and read it?" Ace asked as he held the letter to Sabo.

Sabo's eyes suddenly widened as he looked at the paper and took it from Ace's hand. For a few moments, he examined it. Eventually his hands started shaking slightly. Slowly he reached into his bag and grabbed a blue and gold calligraphy pen – which Ace had to question as to why his friend had it. Slowly he started to write something on the paper.

After a few moments, Ace gave up his patience and looked over his friends shoulder to see what he was writing. Much to his surprise, Sabo was writing the letter with the exact same font, size, and color. He wrote it perfectly, word for word and perfectly on top of the original words. After some time, Sabo had gotten to the signature. This surprised Ace the most. He hadn't described what the signature looked like and yet Sabo had re-written it perfectly. Even with the 'X' behind the first letter of the name.

"Sabo…?" Ace asked slowly.

"Huh?" Sabo sounded as he returned to his senses.

"How did you do that?" Ace asked, slightly shocked still.

"Do what?" Sabo asked, looking at his friend curiously.

"You just re-wrote that letter perfectly. Even got the signature perfect." Ace said as he pointed at the paper.

Sabo looked at the paper Ace was pointing at. He had barely remembered pulling out the paper, let alone writing on it. He read it over very carefully as he tried to remember writing it.

"When did I…?" Sabo muttered.

"What?" Ace asked, not fully hearing the blond.

"When did I write this?" Sabo asked.

"Wait, what? You literally _just_ wrote it." Ace informed.

"Seriously? I don't recall doing so…" Sabo muttered.

Ace sighed. "Dude. You're doing it again."

"Not my fault I was raised by rich bastards…" Sabo grumbled after clearing his throat.

"Could you two shut up?" a voice said from behind them.

Ace and Sabo quickly turned to face the voice and was met with a tall, tan man with black hair covered by a white hat covered in spots. The second thing that caught their eyes from the man was the tattoos on him including the word 'DEATH' on his hand, a letter per finger. They knew exactly who it was.

"What do you want, Heart?" Ace nearly growled. He didn't like the man at all.

"Ace." Sabo scolded before turning to the man. "What's up, Lance?"

"Believe it or not, I actually like the peace and quiet. Could you do me a favor and _not _interrupt it?" the man, Lance, said. "Also, I'd prefer it if you didn't call me by name."

"Why? I know you don't like it but come on. The nickname 'Law' isn't much better. You sound like a prestigious government official." Ace said bluntly.

"That's rich coming from you Spade." Law said.

"At least it's my name. Honestly, I like it. And do you know why Heart?" Ace questioned.

"Che." Law sounded as he turned his head.

"For two simple reasons. First; Ace of Spades is the strongest card in the whole game. In suits, Spade is the highest. In number, the Ace out ranks the King. Second; it's also known as the luckiest card. So I'm lucky and strong. Gotta love it." Ace said with a smirk.

"From what I hear, you're parents only named you such because they were drunk in a casino at the Black Jack table the night before you were born." Law stated.

"I prefer to be optimistic." Ace stated.

"Say whatever you want. You're still insane in my book. Especially after what you said in history." Law said as he started to turn away.

"History? What about it? I don't remember saying anything." Ace commented.

"You're joking, correct? After what you said about Portgas, I wouldn't be surprised if everyone looked at you strangely for the rest of the week." Law stated.

"Portgas? Who's that?" Ace questioned.

"Dude. Portgas D. Ace. First you say almost everything about the guy, even info nobody knows for certain, and now you say you don't know who he is?" Sabo questioned.

"Hey. All I remember is looking up, seeing my face, and then the next picture being you." Ace said to Sabo.

"You seriously don't remember any of it?" Sabo asked.

"If I did, then I wouldn't be saying this." Ace commented.

"Che. I knew you were insane. Same goes to you Outlook." Law said with an annoyed tone.

"What do you mean?" Sabo asked.

"You did the same thing as Spade. Gave more information than most knew." Law explained.

"No I didn't." Sabo stated.

"See. Now you know what it feels like." Ace commented.

"How much of class do you two idiots even remember?" Law questioned.

"Most of it." Sabo said.

"Bits and pieces." Ace stated.

"What do you remember the professor talking about?" Law asked as he looked to Ace.

"Um… Yonko… The first Pirate King… and the Strawhat crew." Ace said in deep thought. "Oh yeah! I also remember seeing a picture of Sabo, myself, and Monkey." Ace said, practically growling the word monkey.

"You don't remember hearing about Whitebeard, his crew, Blackbeard, the second Pirate King, or his brothers?" Sabo asked.

"Not really. Why?" Ace asked.

"You kept whispering some of their names and even got angry when hearing the name 'Blackbeard'." Sabo stated.

When hear that name, Ace nearly growled but contained it. Although, his scowl wasn't so easily hidden.

"See. You're doing it again." Sabo commented.

"Doing what?" Ace questioned in a slight growl.

"Growling. Because of a name." Sabo said like it was the simplest thing in the world.

"Tell me. What do you think of when you hear 'Whitebeard'?" Law questioned, sitting at their table, across from the two.

"Pirate, famous, old, tall, kind, caring, wise, forgiving, funny, sick…" Ace started listing before slowing down with each word until finally stopping on one word. "Oyaji…"

"Since when do you know Japanese?" Sabo asked.

"What? I don't." Ace stated, turning to Sabo.

"Then how did you know how to say 'pops'?" the blond questioned.

"When did I say that?" Ace asked curiously.

"You just said it not even thirty seconds ago!" Sabo shouted, completely dumbfounded.

"I'm going to say some names. Don't say anything. If you feel as if you're going to react, then let it happen. Don't stop it." Law said.

"Okay?" Ace said, questioningly.

"Close your eyes and imagine the person the name belongs to." Law commanded.

Ace nodded slowly, looking at Sabo and silently telling him to make sure Law didn't do anything, then closed his eyes.

"First let's start with… 'Pirate King' Gol D. Roger." Law started.

At first Ace tensed. Slowly though, his expression started to change into that of anger and hatred. His hands, which were on the table, balled up into tight fists, making his knuckles turn white. Seconds later, he was shaking due to rage.

After seeing the reaction, Law had wrote it on a piece of paper he had in his binder. He then looked to Sabo and nodded towards Ace. Immediately Sabo understood and put his hand on Ace's shoulder, calming the man down.

"Next." Law said after believing Ace had calmed enough. "'Hero of the Marines' Monkey D. Garp."

With his eyes still closed, Ace imagined the man named. Immediately he felt a shudder run down his spine and could almost feel said mans fist on his head. Causing his expression to change from slight fear, to pain. Then he saw the man beating up two faceless children, that he felt he knew. His expression slowly turning angrier.

After writing down the expressions he saw, Law nodded to Sabo again causing him to calm Ace again.

"How about… 'Akagami' Shanks." Law stated.

Immediately, Ace imagined the man perfectly. The red hair, three scars across the left eye, only one arm, that child-like grin he almost always wore unless dead serious or angry. As soon as the image came to mind, Ace had smiled. He felt grateful towards the man for unknown reasons. He felt proud to know the man.

'_Wait… What?_' Ace thought to himself, his expression fading to confused.

"Ace?" Sabo called.

"Nothing. Just… A weird thought." Ace said, still not opening his eyes. "Continue?"

"Of course." Law said as he finished writing his description of the expression. "Let's see… 'Revolutionary Dragon', Monkey D. Dragon."

Ace didn't react much. He couldn't even imagine what the man looked like. It was just blank and so was his expression. "I've got nothin'." Ace muttered.

"Understood." Law said as he drew an 'X' next to the man's name. "First Division Commander, Marco the Phoenix."

Immediately, Ace grinned. He imagined the pineapple headed man perfectly and even started laughing. Quickly, the image in his mind changed and turned into a blue phoenix soaring through the sky gracefully. Ace couldn't help the calm and relaxed smile that appeared on his face.

At this point, Sabo started getting curious as to why the freckled man was reacting like this. He closed his eyes for a moment and tried it as well, but it didn't work. Sabo shrugged it off before opening his eyes and watching his friends amusing reactions.

"Fourth Division Commander, Thatch." Law said.

Immediately, Ace grinned. He imagined the man panicking about his pompadour after being hit in the head. He imagined the man playing pranks on Marco. He imagined the man's smile. He heard him laugh, talk, beg, panic about his hair, scream for help after being caught for pulling a prank. He then saw the kind and funny man lying face down in a puddle of his own blood. Dead. Ace's expression instantly changed to one of sadness, a single tear making its way out of the corner of Ace's shut eyes.

For a moment, Law and Sabo considered stopping. Law didn't want to push the man too far and Sabo was starting to worry for the man he practically called his brother. But before they could say anything, Ace had calmed down and asked to continue.

"Fifth Division Commander, 'Flower Sword' Vista." Law said slowly.

Ace simply smiled as he imagined the tall figure smiling down at him. He imagined the man as almost extravagant. But one thing was for certain. The man he was told to imagine, was definitely flashy.

"Twelfth Division Commander, Haruta." Law stated.

Ace took a moment to imagine the kid. Now he remembered. Outgoing, jealous when people got too close to him, always smiling, always acting like a kid. Ace couldn't help the smile and small chuckle that came from him as he thought about the young commander.*

"Sixteenth Division Commander, Izo." Law said as he added the name to his list.

At first Ace seemed shocked at the image that came to him. Soon enough though, he smiled. Eventually chuckling as he thought about why the man was dressed like that. He could imagine perfectly how Izo would have acted.

"Whitebeard Captain, Edward Newgate." Law said slowly, staring intently on Ace.

Immediately, Ace imagined the tall man sitting in his massive chair, hooked up to all sorts of medical machines while drinking sake, no matter how much the nurses told him to stop. He remembered that mans laugh. He remembered the day the man had asked him to become his son. The day he first called the man pops. The day he got the mark on his back. He had a fond smile that held pride in being that mans son.

"'Blackbeard' Marshall D. Teach." Law said.

As if flipping a switch, Ace's calm and happy appearance changed into the complete opposite. He was furious at the fat man who had dared to kill his friend. He was so angry, he had ended up punching the table top, leaving a well sized dent in the metal. He hated everything about that man. How he had betrayed his family for power. How he practically stole his fathers name. He hated that mans laugh, his teeth, his appearance, his attitude. He hated Teach with all his being.

"Ace. Calm down." Sabo said in an attempt to calm said man.

After some time, Ace was finally calm and was able to continue.

"Alright… How about the Strawhat Crew in general?" Law said slowly and calmly, not wanting Ace to act up again.

Ace took a calming breath before imagining the crew, without the captain. Three of them he couldn't picture. He looked at the images he could see and felt almost proud. A small smirk made its way onto his lips as he looked at the few faces he saw. He could tell they were trustworthy.

"Remember to imagine the past selves of the people I am about to mention. Understand?" Law asked, gaining a small nod in response. "Good. Second Division Commander, 'Fire Fist' Portgas D. Ace."

It took Ace a moment to imagine the man that looked far too much like him, and not himself. When he did though, he felt like he was looking at a more bad-ass version of himself. The man had an orange cowboy hat on that Ace had to admit looked good. He smirked when he saw the man light his hand on fire and shoot a pillar of fire at some battle ships. At least he knew where the name came from.

He felt pride within himself and yet… sadness. He felt as if he was the man he was watching. He could see it in the man's eyes. He had very few reasons to live. Ace hated seeing that.

'_Oi… Jii-jii. Was it a good thing that I was born?_'

A sigh. '_You'll find out on your own one day._'

Ace looked around the dark 'room' he was in to look for the voices. He stood there for a moment, thinking. The first voice sounded a lot like him when he was around ten years of age. But he didn't remember saying that, or the second voice.

"Oi! Ace! You still in there?" Sabo called out to him.

Ace opened his eyes and quickly shut them again. "Note to self; next time eyes are closed for that long, open them slowly." He muttered to himself.

"Good luck remembering. There's only two more. Now focus." Law commanded.

Ace nodded and allowed Law to continue.

"'Mad Hatter' Sabo." Law said slowly.

Sabo first looked at Law curiously before looking at the other man at the table, waiting for his reaction. He didn't know why, but he was scarred. He had a fear of Ace hating him for some reason. He knew Ace didn't, so why was he so worried?

After some time, Ace had remembered that picture he saw of said man in history. Quickly enough, he saw the picture become animated. He saw the man slowly turn into a ten year old and smile up at him, his grin missing a tooth. Ace was happy to see those burn marks gone at least. He saw how the boy ran around with two boys, whose faces were black out. A never fading grin that made him want to run with the boys and just have fun. He felt nothing but happiness until he heard that boy's voice reading the letter he had next to him. When he heard that, a tear fell down his cheek again. An image of a fishing boat being attacked and on fire, with the boy on it, flashed through his mind just in time for him to see the second bullet get shot towards the boy. Nearly killing him. If Ace hadn't seen the pictures of the boy as an adult, he would have thought the boy died. He didn't want to go through that again.

'_Again? What does that mean!?_' Ace mentally shouted to himself.

"Now, the last one. Pirate King 'Strawhat' Monkey D. Luffy." Law stated.

Immediately, Ace froze. Luffy? As in little, weak, rubbery Luffy? The kid that could never win in a fight against his brothers? With the title 'Pirate King'? He let out a laugh. There was joy, mock, amazement, confusion, happiness, disbelief, but above all, pride. He was proud of the kid for making it that far. The kid was always weak but was now famous for finding the One Piece and becoming the Pirate King. It was hard to believe. But he was still happy.

"Interesting." Law said thoughtfully.

"What?" Ace said as he slowly opened his eyes.

"It seems you've reacted almost exactly how Fire First used to or would." Law said as he looked over his notes.

"Hey Ace." Sabo called.

"Yeah?" said man responded as he turned to the blond.

"Ogenki desuka?" Sabo asked. (How are you?)

"I'm fine, why?" Ace replied.

"Do you have an explanation for that?" Sabo asked Law as he jerked his thumb at Ace.

"Maybe. Depends on how strong it is." Law said.

"Namae wa nandesu ka?" Sabo asked Ace. (What's your name?)

"Watashi no namae wa Spade D. Ace." Ace replied. (My name is Spade D. Ace.)

"Doko no shusshin desu ka?" Sabo questioned. (Where are you from?)

"Goa kara desu." (I'm from Goa.)

"Kokowa suki ni narimashita ka?" (Do you like it here?)

"Sukoshi dake." (Just a little.)

"That enough proof?" Sabo asked Law.

"More or less." Law stated.

"What just happened?" Ace asked slowly as reality finally clicked.

"You held a full conversation in Japanese. Omedetou." Sabo said.

"What?" Ace asked.

Sabo sighed. '_And there it goes._' He thought to himself before speaking. "It means congratulations."

"I know! I'm asking how I know this all of a sudden!" Ace snapped. "I'm not stupid…"

"Well _sorry_. I'm used to you only knowing English." Sabo said before turning to Law. "Explanation would be of great help right now."

"Has he hit his head at all recently?" Law asked.

"What do you consider recently?" Ace asked.

"When was the last time you hit your head?" Law asked with annoyance.

Ace paused for a moment to think. "This morning."

"There's your explanation. He hit his head and when his brain – or what little exists – tried to repair the damages, he saw someone that looked like him and had close to the same name. He's just confusing himself with someone else." Law said.

"Oh… Hey wait! You called me stupid didn't you!?" Ace shouted.

"You are quite the genius aren't you?" Law asked, sarcasm dripping off his words.

"Screw you…" Ace mumbled.

Just then, the bell rang signaling them to go back to class. With this 'discovery' in his mind, Sabo decided to watch over Ace and make sure it didn't happen again, or if it did then it would do some help instead of harm.

**(Aaaaaaaaaaaaand done! What do you think? I love Law but I don't know if I should throw him in. If you have any requests as to who you would like to be added then tell me in the reviews or PM's. I hope it wasn't too confusing. I mean, it's good if you're confused, but not so much if you're thinking 'The hell is this shit!?' so I hope you aren't thinking that. I'll see you guys again in a few days. I plan on updating Second Chance on Saturday, Brothers Returned on Sunday, and this again on Monday. Wish me luck! Fave, follow, read my other stuff, and review! Bai~! c(X )**

***I tried to avoid saying 'he' or 'she' for Haruta since I don't know the gender. Most fics say Haruta is a girl but a lot of fanart makes it look like Haruta is a guy. So I just avoided it.**

**** Sorry if I confused anyone with the conversation between Ace and Sabo being in Japanese. I needed to do something weird. –er.**

**Start time – 6:30 P.M.**

**End time – 12:35 A.M.**


	3. Attack

Chapter 3: Attack

**(Hey guyz~! So I came up with this thought like… five minutes ago. Immediately it came together as the beginning of a chap and I didn't want to lose it. On a slightly different note, I'm in a good mood! I just got a shirt that says "It's not a cartoon. It's anime!" which is my biggest rant. I also got a shirt with Law's symbol on the front that says "I'm Law" XD Simple yet awesome! **

**Question: Anyone know how to convince a mom to say yes to Law's nodachi? Found it for $42 including shipping and it's 47 inches long. Mom keeps saying no but I want it or Wado Ichimonji which costs a hell-of-a-lot more. **

***Five hours later* Yes! Here's the key! Finally agree with dad that no means yes and yes means yes. Mom keeps saying no while playing on Facebook and dad buys the sword when she isn't looking! Now I have shoes with Chibi Law's and Law's nodachi on the way! Yay~!**

**On to the crap!)**

After he regained his senses outside of the class, Luffy had gone to his usual spot during lunch. As he walked up to the tree he always ate at, he couldn't help but smile. It was a secret spot, unless he told someone about it that is, so that meant it was quiet. It was on a small hill that almost nobody went to. The tree was a good size, allowing him to lay down and avoid the rays of the sun, unless he decided to be in them. He sat down and leaned against the tree and closed his eyes. It was perfect weather. Sunny, no clouds, a nice breeze, warm but not too warm. Luffy loved days like today.

He took a few moments to just listen as the breeze returned and caused the leaves, the grass, and his hair to gently sway. He took in a deep breath and could smell everything around him, especially the burgers from the cafeteria. Quickly, his stomach broke the silence that he loved.

Luffy chuckled silently before turning to his lunch and grabbing the Saulsberry steak he had left over from the night before. He quickly finished it, along with the extra snacks he had. He smiled as he watched some birds flying away and off into the distance.

"Hey… You're Luffy, right?" A voice asked, break said boys peaceful silence.

Luffy looked at the person, who somehow found his secret place, and looked him over. The man was of average height, but most likely taller than Luffy. He had orange brown hair, pulled up into a pompadour, along with a black goatee. Luffy silently questioned that but then remembered the existence of hair dye. He had a scar that seemed to curve around his left eye and a grin.

Luffy slowly nodded before speaking. "Who are you?"

The man gasped dramatically as he put his hand over his mouth and looked as if he had seen a ghost. Luffy couldn't help but laugh at the man's reaction. The man smiled again and laughed as well.

"Tony. Tony Hatcher. Friends call me Thatch." The man said after his laughter had calmed.

"Nice to meet you Thatch. I'm Luffy." Luffy said as he calmed down as well.

"I know that." Thatch stated with a smile. "Hey, you mind if I sit with you? I can't find anyone today."

"Sure. Go ahead." Luffy said.

"Thanks." Thatch said as he sat next to Luffy and under the tree. "It's really nice here. I didn't think there was a spot like this on campus."

"Everyone avoids it. They think it's just another boring hill. They don't realize the view up here." Luffy informed.

"View?" Thatch asked.

"Yeah. Didn't you see it when you were coming up?" Luffy asked curiously.

"See what?" Thatch questioned.

Luffy chuckled before he stood and told the man to follow him. Thatch groaned, since he had just sat down, but stood and did as told. Slowly, he realized what Luffy was talking about. The small hill they were on was actually a large cliff that looked over a gorgeous valley.

"It's better when the sun sets. It goes down directly in between the mountains and it makes the town and everything else look like magic. I know it sounds stupid, but that's really the only way to explain it." Luffy informed.

"I guess I'll have to see it later. I can't believe nobody's ever noticed this before." Thatch said, still slightly in shock of the view.

"You can't know what's behind the wall if you don't know the wall exists." Luffy stated.

"What?" Thatch asked, confused.

"Never mind." Luffy chuckled.

Thatch sighed. "Whatever."

After a few moments, Luffy turned around and went back to where he had been sitting. Soon, Thatch followed the boy and sat next to him. After some moments, Thatch decided to ask the question that had been bothering him since the beginning of lunch.

"Hey Luffy?" Thatch called, only for said boy to hum in recognition. "What you said in history… Was that all true?"

"What'd I say?" Luffy asked, looking at his new friend.

"You said you were related to the second Pirate King. And technically the first." Thatch stated.

"What do you mean?" Luffy asked.

"I mean, the second Pirate King was brothers with the first Pirate Kings son. So wouldn't they be related?" Thatch thought aloud.

"That's not what I asked. I meant, what do you mean I said I was related to him?" Luffy asked, slightly panicked.

"The professor kept telling you to talk about the second Pirate King. You said you were related to him and named after him. You even said how close he was to his brothers and everything. How'd you know all that?" Thatch questioned.

"I… I don't…" Luffy muttered as he stared at the grass beneath him.

"What?" Thatch asked, having not heard.

"I don't know anything about him. All I know is that I'm related to him and that I was named after him." Luffy informed.

"Sure dude, come on. You can tell me." Thatch said.

"I'm not lying! I really don't know anything about him!" Luffy said, starting to panic.

"Hey hey! Alright. Calm down." Thatch said.

Slowly, Luffy started calming down before sighing and muttering, "My gramps is gonna kill me…"

"You already said that earlier in class." Thatch said with a small smile as he noticed the boy had calmed enough.

"I did?" Luffy questioned.

"Yeah. Luffy how much do you remember from the last few minutes of class?" Thatch asked.

"I remember seeing that picture of Sabo and, right as the professor was changing slides, I blinked and was all of a sudden out of the class and in the hallway…" Luffy stated.

"You really don't remember anything you said?" Thatch asked.

"Nothing. There were a few moments that I can't really remember. I thought I was just falling asleep, but then that happened…" Luffy informed.

"Weird… You hit your head?" Thatch questioned.

"Don't think so…" Luffy said.

"Hm…" Thatch sounded as he thought about it.

"Hey. Promise you won't tell anyone else about who I'm related to?" Luffy asked, practically begging.

"Promise." Thatch said with a smirk.

"Thanks." Luffy said with a smile.

'_Get out of here!_'

"Make me!" Luffy shouted as he turned his head and glared, only to stare at an empty space.

"Luffy…?" Thatch questioned. "You okay?"

"Huh? But I thought I heard Spade…" Luffy muttered.

"'Spade'? Oh you mean Ace right?" Thatch asked.

"Yeah… I thought I heard him shouting for me to leave…" Luffy muttered in confusion.

"That's weird. I didn't hear anything." Thatch said.

'_I… can't speak loud enough for the others to hear it. Please… pass on… what I'm about to say. Oyaji… Everyone… And you, Luffy… Even though… I'm so worthless… Even though… I carry the blood of a demon… Thank you… for loving me!_'

Luffy was shocked. He was completely frozen with wide eyes. Slowly he looked down and at his hands. Blood covered the palms of his hands. He lifted his head slightly and was suddenly staring at Ace. Dead with a hole in his chest and a smile on his face. Unknowingly, tear started to fall from his eyes.

"Ace…?" Luffy questioned quietly.

"Luffy? Hey Luffy. Luffy! Snap out of it!" Thatch shouted, trying to wake the boy.

Luffy tensed when he felt two hands on his shoulders and was soon being shaken. His eyes never left the blood on his hands or the dead man in front of him. Soon he was shaking uncontrollably and muttering random words, some not coming out clearly as a word. Some words though, came out very clear.

"Ace… died…?" Luffy muttered, shocking Thatch.

"Luffy! Ace is alive! He's fine!" Thatch shouted. '_Why is he so freaked out? Doesn't he hate Ace? I thought they wanted to kill each other…_' Thatch thought to himself.

"I don't… want to be… alone anymore…" Luffy whispered before fainting.

"Luffy!" Thatch shouted in panic.

Quickly, Thatch grabbed his stuff, Luffy's bag, and the boy himself. He ran at full speed to the nurses office, hoping to help the boy. Once he got there, he laid the boy on the bed and waited for the nurse to come in. Moments later, the nurse walked in and was shocked.

"What happened?" the nurse asked.

"He was acting weird. Saying he didn't remember the last few minutes of class, then he was hearing voices. He was acting like he saw a ghost when he started saying random words then fainted." Thatch informed, hurriedly.

"What did he say? Anything coherent?" The nurse asked as she started checking Luffy for wounds.

"He was saying 'Ace' a lot… Right before he passed out, he said Ace died." Thatch explained.

"I don't believe there's anything I can do. I'll call a hospital and tell his family. Stay with him and call for me if anything happens." The nurse said before leaving and doing as she had said.

-x-x-x-

After lunch, Ace's classes were pretty good. That Monkey kid hadn't been there so he was pretty happy. His classes were easy for once. Maybe that kid had been bad luck. Ace honestly didn't care. Even if that kid was a good luck charm, he would have easily gotten rid of the boy.

"Where's Monkey and Hatcher?" the professor asked, unknowingly taking Ace out of his thoughts.

"I thought I saw Thatch taking the kid to the nurse. The kid looked like he was unconscious too. While Thatch looked like he was panicking." One of the students answered.

Immediately, Ace felt a pang of worry from deep inside him. But why? '_I hate the brat! So… Why do I feel like I'm worried…?_' Ace thought to himself before looking at Sabo from the corner of his eye. The blond looked like he was worried as well. It didn't make sense.

Frustrated, Ace stood from his seat and walked out of the room, followed by Sabo.

"You worried too?" the blond asked.

"Of course not. I just didn't want to be in there." Ace lied.

"Sure. I can see it. You're like an open book right now. You're worried and you know it." Sabo said.

"I just… Something about today… I feel like I gotta protect the little shit, ya know? Like that letter said, he's weak." Ace said.

"Let me guess. Find out who caused it and beat the shit out of 'em?" Sabo asked.

"Oh yeah." Ace growled as he cracked his knuckles before running down the halls.

**(Aaaaaaand done! I know. Half as long as usual but come on. I already updated today. I wanted to get Thatch in as well. Also it's decided. Law stays! The main guys are going to be Ace, Sabo, Luffy, Law, Thatch, and someone else! If you can figure it out then congrats. But it'll be a while until they enter. By the way, I still don't like watching Ace die. Never have, never will. His final words are so sad… How'd you like Ace's reaction? I tried to make it to where Portgas is trying to come out but Spade won't let him. Also, like I said before, if you have a certain character that you want in here then put it in the reviews or PM me. I'll be happy to try and add them in, even if only for a chapter or two. Fave, follow, read my other stuff, and review! Bai~! c(X )**

**Start time – 3:30 P.M.**

**End time – 10:25 P.M.**


	4. Hospital

Chapter 4: Hospital

**(Hey guyz~! I'm here again with a new chapter~! Like I said on Brothers Returned, next week and the week after are probably going to have weird updating schedules due to me having Saturday School, being away from internet, and the fact that I update this on Mondays which are school days. Hopefully not too much gets messed up. On to the crap!)**

Once they arrived at the hospital, Ace and Sabo went up to the receptionist and found the room they needed. As soon as they opened the door, they saw two people; Thatch and an unconscious Luffy. When Thatch didn't turn to face the door, Ace immediately presumed the man was the cause.

Immediately, Ace walked up to Thatch, grabbed his shirt, and picked him up off the chair he had been sitting on. As Ace raised his fist to punch the man, Sabo grabbed his wrist.

"Let go Sabo!" Ace shouted angrily.

"He didn't do it. You don't need to injure innocent people." Sabo said calmly.

"How do you know? You weren't there." Ace growled.

"You weren't either." Sabo reminded. "Also, if he did this to the kid then why would he be here?"

After a few moments of thinking, Ace released Thatch. "What happened?" Ace asked bluntly.

"He was rambling… Then he just… fainted." Thatch said.

"Rambling about what?" a voice asked from behind Ace and Sabo.

Immediately, everyone in the room – except Luffy – turned to the doorway and saw Law standing there. He looked bored, causing the three conscious men to wonder why he was there.

"What are you doing here Lance?" Sabo asked calmly.

"First of all, you call me Law. No other name is of acceptance. Second, I felt like it. I can't fully explain as to why. Third, answer my previous question. What was he rambling about?" Law stated.

"Weird stuff. Most of it was incoherent. But there was something he kept repeating, almost like he was worried, scared, or sad. It was a name." Thatch explained.

"And the name was?" Ace asked with frustration.

"Yours." Thatch stated simply. "He kept repeating 'Ace'. Each time he said it, it looked like he was about to cry. Right before he passed out, he muttered something that sounded like a shocked and horrified question. He said 'Ace died'."

"Che. I'm sure he'd be happy if that happened." Ace muttered, turning his head away from Luffy and Thatch

"He had tears in his eyes dumbass!" Thatch shouted.

"What'd you just call me?" Ace questioned quietly as he slowly turned his head towards Thatch.

"He was worrying about you. He looked like he was about to cry because he thought he saw your dead body and you say he'd be happy to see you dead? How stupidly selfish are you?" Thatch questioned.

"Call me that again. See what happens." Ace threatened.

"Both of you, stop this. We're in a hospital in case you've forgotten." Sabo scolded.

"Have the doctors said anything yet?" Law asked as he walked over to Luffy's bed.

"Nothing at all." Thatch said sadly.

"I wonder why…" Law muttered to himself as he looked over Luffy and the few documents that were in the room.

For the next few minutes, nobody said a word. The only sound being from the men as they sat in a chair and waited for the boy to wake. The only person who chose not to sit was Law, who was too busy looking through the folder of Luffy's past medical issues and other information. The silence was so heavy that even the sound of Law turning a page echoed within the white walls. Soon enough, they all heard the sound of footsteps heading towards the room they were in. When the footsteps quieted at their door, they all felt as if they needed to cover their ears at the sudden voice.

"Luffy…" a man whispered as he slowly entered the room.

As the small echo faded from the room, the conscious occupants all turned towards the owner of the voice. He had wide black eyes that were partially covered by his bright red hair and three scars that ran over his left eye. His mouth was partially open due to shock causing the light beard and mustache to be noticed by the men. He had a partially opened white shirt on with a black jacket on top of that along with lose dark brown pants that stopped a little below his knees and just above his sandals.

Quickly, the man ran into the room and went straight to Luffy. "What happened…? Is he going to be alright?" the man asked quickly and worriedly.

"He'll be fine." Law said, not looking up from the documents in his hand. "There's nothing wrong with him physically. He hasn't woken up yet so they aren't sure of his mental state. So far it looks like he collapsed due to anxiety. They aren't fully sure because they haven't been able to question him."

Everyone in the room soon let out a sigh of relief.

"That's good to hear." Sabo muttered before turning his attention back to the man. "My apologies but I didn't quite catch your name."

"That's because he didn't say it. Also, you did it again." Ace stated.

"Shut up." Sabo whispered to Ace.

"My name's Shaun Karls. I'm sorry but who are you? Luffy doesn't talk much about his friends." The man said with a small amused smile.

"Law." Said mad muttered, not looking up from the papers in his hands.

"Tony Hatcher. Thatch." Thatch introduced.

"Che. Yeah right I'm his friend. Stupid Monkey…" Ace muttered, saying the last part quieter than the rest.

"I'm guessing you're Spade?" The man asked with a small smirk.

"Oh? So Monkey talks about me? Great." Ace said sarcastically as he rolled his eyes.

"Yeah." The man said with a small chuckle. "He says you're a jerk half the time."

"Half the time?" Sabo questioned with shock.

"What's that supposed to mean!?" Ace questioned angrily.

"He told me 'Half the time, Spade is a jerk. But then there's also a good side of him. I'd hate to see him without Sabo'." the man said with a chuckle.

"I would hate to see him without me as well." Sabo said with a chuckle.

"Shut it." Ace muttered.

"I'm guessing you're Sabo?" the man asked, turning to said boy.

"Correct. Nice to meet you Mr. Karls." Sabo said with a smile.

"Please. Call me Shanks." The man, Shanks, said.

"If I may ask then, how do you know Luffy?" Sabo asked.

"He's my son." Shanks said with a smile.

"Wait, what?" Thatch asked with confusion and shock while everyone else had wide eyes.

"I'm his father." Shanks stated.

"But… You don't have the same name." Ace said.

"When he was born, his mother and I decided to use her name." Shanks said with a sad smile.

"Why isn't she here?" Law asked.

"She died a little after Luffy was born. It was a horrible car accident. She died immediately." Shanks said sadly.

"I'm sorry for your loss." Sabo said with some shock.

"Don't be. It wasn't your fault. It was some drunk driver on the wrong side of the road. I'm just happy Luffy was with me at the time." Shanks said as he looked at his son.

"Sorry to interrupt but… Do you know if he's been spacing out lately?" Thatch asked.

"Not at all. He's been perfectly fine until now." Shanks said.

"Strange… If you don't mind, I'd like to question him when he awakes." Law said.

"What would you be asking?" Shanks questioned.

"Are you going to do the same thing you did with Ace?" Sabo asked.

"I would like to. So far it sounds as if they're having the same experiences." Law stated.

"What are you talking about?" Shanks asked.

"I'd like to say a few names to him and see how he reacts. Simple as that." Law informed.

"Why?" Shanks asked.

"If my presumptions are correct then he is going through the same issue as Spade here." Law said, only to be cut off by said man.

"You never fully explained that. You said I hit my head." Ace commented.

"That's because I didn't want to tell you what I believed before I found out for certain. I also didn't want to tell you something complex and be forced to explain it for the rest of the day." Law stated.

"Hey!" Ace shouted with annoyance.

"Would you be willing to state your belief?" Sabo asked, holding Ace back.

"Good sir, I do believe you are doing it again." Ace said teasingly.

Sabo sighed before hitting Ace in the head and looking at Law. "Please explain."

"Of course. Judging by Spade's reactions to the people I mentioned, I believe he's gaining the memories of his past counterpart. Meaning, he might as well be turning into Portgas." Law explained.

'_Very close. I expected nothing less_.'

Ace immediately started looking around the room for the owner of the voice. "Did… you guys hear something?" Ace asked cautiously.

"And he ignored what I said…" Law sighed.

"No, I'm talking about after you finished speaking. It sounded like someone saying 'Very close. I excepted nothing less'." Ace said.

"I didn't hear anything." Thatch stated.

"Who did it sound like?" Law asked.

"Not sure… I could hear the words but no voice… That doesn't make sense does it?" Ace questioned.

"Congratulations. You have voices in your head." Sabo said.

"Are you calling me crazy?" Ace asked.

"Very." Sabo stated.

"Screw you." Ace said before going over to his chair. After about five minutes of tuning out the coversation, Ace was asleep.

-x-x-x-

_When he opened his eyes, Ace saw he was alone on a ship. He walked around the ship for a few moments before stopping at a door. He looked at the plaque carefully with curiosity._

"'_Second Division Commander Portgas D. Ace.'" Ace read aloud before looking up and down the hall. "Where am I?"_

"_Moby Dick." A familiar voice said from behind Ace._

_As Ace turned around to see who was behind him, his eyes widened. In front of him stood a copy of himself. The copy had on black shorts with two orange brown belts and a belt buckle with a red 'A' on it along with a small, light blue pouch around his left thigh. He wasn't wearing a shirt, for reasons Ace couldn't decipher. Soon he noticed the bright orange cowboy hat on the man's head and the bright blue medallions that decorated it; one smiling evilly and the other frowning. He then noticed the medallion that hung from the hat and laid perfectly in the center of his chest; the skull of a bull carved into it with two pieces of bamboo and a red tassel hanging from it. Next he noticed the orange elbow guard on the copies left elbow and the black tattoo above that._

"_If that's supposed to be your name than you're either stupid or history teachers are wrong." Ace said._

"_I did it like that on purpose. It's a tribute to the brother I thought died." The copy said._

"_So you're him, huh?" Ace asked._

"_Portgas D. Ace." The copy, Portgas, said with a tip of the hat._

"_Spade D. Ace." Spade introduced dully with a shrug._

"_Well that's original." Portgas said with a small smirk._

"_Hey. Blame my parents. I didn't chose it." Spade informed._

"_But you know what they say; Ace of Spades is the strongest card." Portgas commented._

"_See! That's what I tell everyone and they just look at me like I'm crazy!" Spade said._

_Immediately, Portgas had burst out laughing and was holding his stomach._

"_What are you laughing at!?" Spade shouted._

"_You're complaining about being crazy while talking to a past version of yourself. I'm sorry but the wrong thing is being called crazy." Portgas said after his laughter calmed._

"_What?" Spade questioned._

"_Which is crazier? Your name or the fact that you're talking to a man who was alive hundreds of years ago?" Portgas questioned._

"_I have to say my name on that one. This is a dream so it's allowed to be weird." Spade stated._

"_So what you're saying is, I'm just a figment of your imagination?" Portgas asked._

"_Basically." Spade said._

"_That is where you're wrong." Portgas stated._

"_Excuse me?" Spade questioned with annoyance._

"_You're wrong. Incorrect. What you said is false. That's a lie." Portgas listed but was cut off before continuing._

"_What are you talking about?" Spade nearly growled out of annoyance._

"_I'm not a dream. I'm not a figment of your imagination. I'm the real Portgas D. Ace. You are my reincarnation." Portgas stated._

"_Bullshit!" Spade shouted._

"_You really need to stop yelling. And stop with all the anger." Portgas muttered._

"_What are you? A hippie?" Spade questioned._

"_I'm as much of a hippie as you are kind and generous." Portgas stated._

"_Screw you." Spade muttered. "Why are you here?"_

"_That's a good question. I'm here because of you and the others." Portgas informed._

"_What do you mean? And who are you talking about?" Spade questioned._

"_Do you know how rare it is for someone to meet somebody they knew in a past life?" Portgas asked with a small grin._

"_Pretty rare right?" Spade asked._

"_Very. And yet you've done it with more than one person!" Portgas said with a grin._

"_What's that supposed to mean?" Spade asked._

"_Luffy, Sabo, Thatch, Law, Shanks and so many others! You've done the impossible and met most of the people I've met! Same with the other five! You've all met more than one person from your past life. With each person you meet comes a little more of your past." Portgas informed._

"_So?" Spade pressed on._

"_So! You've met enough people to gain most of my memories and my consciousness! Because you've met so many people, you might as well be me!" Portgas stated._

"_You're so original." Spade said with sarcasm. "Law already said that."_

"_Well it's the truth. My Luffy is most likely talking to yours. My Sabo is subtle so he's taking his time and waiting for the perfect moment. Thatch just met you so he should be finding out soon. Law hates people, even your Law because the kid is naïve compared to him, so he's probably trying to avoid it. Shanks… He most likely already knows but is playing innocent." Portgas informed._

"_And you chose now, why?" Spade questioned._

"_Because it seemed like the right time. You're slowly getting used to Luffy and you're trying to fight it. You're confused as to why and I figured I should explain. You like the kid because he was my little brother." Portgas stated._

"_Bullshit. I hate Monkey more than anything or anyone! Always have, always will! This is nothing more than a dream and I refuse to believe anything you have to say otherwise." Spade shouted._

_Portgas chuckled. "That's exactly how I was when I first met Lu."_

_Without another word, Portgas faded from existence as the ship faded into darkness. Spade stood in the empty void for a good few moments before he slowly started to fade._

-x-x-x-

Slowly, Ace opened his eyes and looked around. After a few moments, he remembered where he was. He stood out of the uncomfortable chair and stretched, trying to crack his back. He soon realized everyone in the room was asleep; Sabo and Law were asleep in their own chairs while Thatch was asleep in the corner on the floor and Shanks was asleep against Luffy's bed, his arms crossed and being used as a pillow.

Quickly, Ace left the room and started heading to a nearby coffee stand. The whole time he was walking, he had been thinking about his dream. Soon enough, he was annoyed of the thought and shook his head to lose the subject. When he stopped shaking his head, he realized he was at the stand he was looking for. He walked up to the counter and asked for a medium cup of coffee. Once he got his cup, he paid the worker and headed back to the room, talking sips of the brown liquid from time to time.

Once he was in the same hall as the room he was previously in, he heard voices coming from his destination. Slowly he walked up to the room and looked in to see everyone, even Luffy, was awake. He took a peek at his watch and saw he was gone for about ten minutes at most. Ignoring his question of how they all woke up so fast, he walked in.

"The hell are you doing here!?" Luffy shouted.

"Nice to see you too brat." Ace muttered sarcastically as he sat in his chair and took another sip of coffee. "How was your little nap?"

Luffy was gradually shocked. He had been expecting the man to yell at him but instead stayed calm. Soon his shock turned to confusion.

"He hit his head or something?" Luffy whispered to Sabo.

"I can hear you. And no I didn't hit my head. Why is that everyone's first question?" Ace said, muttering the last part to himself.

"He's fine. Believe it or not he was worried about you." Sabo said.

"No I wasn't." Ace grumbled.

"He's the same person right? The guy who hates my guts and would love to pick a fight with me at any moment?" Luffy questioned.

"Same guy, yes." Sabo stated.

"So… Why isn't he trying to kill me?" Luffy asked.

"Because I have enough respect to not hurt someone in a hospital." Ace stated with annoyance.

"I didn't know you had respect of any kind." Luffy commented with fake shock.

"Luffy." Shanks warned.

"Sorry…" Luffy said.

"What's up with you?" Thatch questioned curiously.

"What do you mean?" Luffy asked confusedly.

"Earlier you were so happy then you started freaking out. All of a sudden, you started calling out to him and cried when you thought he was dead! Now you hate his guts? What the hell!?" Thatch questioned.

"Wait, what!? I don't remember any of that! And why would I cry about Spade!? I hate him! Always have, always will!" Luffy shouted.

"At least we can agree on one thing." Ace muttered.

"Stop it." Sabo growled with annoyance.

"But Sabo!" Ace and Luffy whined.

"No buts! Now stop whining!" Sabo commanded.

"Fine…" Ace and Luffy muttered, before looking at each other in shock then looking away.

**(Aaaaaaaaaaaand done! How bad? How good? Sorry for it being short-ish. I still have a curfew. When trying to describe Shanks, I ended up looking up pictures of him and I saw one of him as a kid and he looked kinda like Luffy. So that's why he's Luffy's dad in this. What'd you think about Spade and Portgas' little chat? Almost everything Portgas said was made up. If it's true than awesome! If it isn't than oh well. Fave, follow, read my other stuff, and review. Bai~! c(X )**

**Start time – 1:30 P.M.**

**End time – 8:00 P.M.**


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